1. Field
The following description relates to an optical network in which a wavelength division multiplexing-based optical transmission scheme is implemented, and more particularly, to a path cross-connection scheme for each node in an optical network.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)-based optical transmission system that multiplexes optical signals having a plurality of wavelengths in one optical fiber and transmits a resultant signal is developing from a point to point, static network structure that transmits signals via a fixed line to a ring network structure in which a network can be dynamically re-configured, if necessary, or to a mesh network structure. As transmission capacity increases in an optical/electrical/optical (O/E/O) path cross-connector in which each node in a network electrically converts all information and electrically processes resultant information, electrical information processing causes a bottleneck phenomenon and the cost of electrical information processing increases in proportion to transmission capacity.